Pottery machine



April 3, 1951 R. A. MADDOCK 2,547,533

' Y POTTERY MACHINE Filed June '23, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I nuentor,

v R. A. MAp ock v POTTERY MACHINE A rils, 1951 5 Sheets-Shef 2 Filed Juhe 25, 1947 R. A. MADDOCK POTTERY MACHINE April 3; 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 23, 1947 FIGS!- Inventor, R MFIIDDDG Hosea-r FILEXHND April 3, 1951 R. A. M41350 POTTERY MACHINE 1 5' sheets-sheet 4 Filed June 23, 1947 I nuenlor, Malabar/K ROBERT FILEXHNDER AD 1951 R. A. MADDOCK 2,547,588

POTTERY MACHINE Filed June 23, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 F/GS.

l l I I I. l I I l I l l 0 l I Inventor 780mm FILEXHNDEB l wzmocK Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED STATES) PATENT OFFICE POTTERY MACHINE Robert Alexander Maddock, Trentham, England Application June 23, 1947, Serial No. 756,453 In Great Britain February 15, 1944 This invention relates to means for making pottery ware, and is primarily intended for the making of articles of hollow-ware such as cups,

1 Claim. (01. 25.24)

although it may also be used in connection with flat ware, such as plates or saucers. -.According to the present invention two J'igger heads are arranged side by side in the front of the machine and two shaping arms are pivotally movable about a common axis at the rear of the machine and extending forwardly over the digger heads, the arms being mechanically or otherwise controlled in relation to the jigger heads and in relation to a table or mould carrier which is operated in a succession of intermittent rotary movements, the shaping arm's being simultaneously raised and lowered in unison, one arm being arranged to effect a preliminary shaping of the piece in its mould in one jigger head while the other arm finally shapes in a mould in the other jigger head another piece which has already received its preliminary shaping, the transferring of moulds from the forming jigger head and arm to the finishing jigger head and arm being automatically effected by the rotary movements of the mould carrier or table.

The mould-carrier is preferably raised preparatory to each of its rotary movements and lowered again at the conclusion of each such movement, in order that its mould will be lowered into the rotating jigger heads in each shaping position and after the shaping operations will be raised clear of said jigger heads preparatory to rotation. The same result could be achieved by maintaining the mould carrier at a fixed level throughout its rotation and raising and lowering the jigger heads.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification: 3

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cup-making machine. Y

Figure 2 is a sectional plan showing the mechanism under the top of the frame of the machine.

Figure 3 is a front elevation.

Figure 4 is a plan.

Figure 5 is a rear elevation. V

A framework I9 is provided having a top H and -a lower platform I 2 which support the bearings of a pair of vertical jigger spindles l3, H, the jigger heads I5, l6 projecting through the top I l. The jigger spindles carry belt pulleys l1, 18 which are driven by a belt or rope l9 from a pulley 20 carried by a further spindle 2| supported by the members ll, 12 and driven by a further belt or rope 22 through pulleys Z3 and clutch 24 from a pulley 25 and motor 26. The belt 22 passes round a pulley 21 carried by a spindle 28 also supported by the members, ll, I2 and round a diverting pulley 29. There is also mounted in bearings in the frame a horizontal shaft 30, extending transversely across the machine, hereinafter called the cam shaft, and driven by a worm 3! and worm wheel 32 from the spindle 28. This shaft has mounted on it a series of cams. Oneof the cams 33 serves to actuate a lever 34 which extends upwards and is connected to the two jolley arms 35, 35 which are connected together and pivotally mounted at 3! over the top of the frame as a single unit, the lever 34 serving to raise and lower the two jolley arms in relation to the jigger heads. The jolley arms each carry a shaping tool or profile 33 in any convenient way. In the forward part of the frame a vertical spindle 39 is mounted in suitable guides or bearings in a slidable manner, the head of the spindle projecting through the top of the frame and having mounted thereon a mould carrier 40 which is in the form of a plate or platform having (in example shown) four holes 4|, 42, 43, 44 therein, each adapted to receive and support a mould 6D. The mould carrier spindle 39 is engaged by twoarmed lever 45 pivoted at it which is acted upon by a cam 41 on the cam shaft 59 and serves to raise and lower the mould carrier spindle 39 at intervals. When the spindle is fully raised it is rotated through by the engagement of a p sh rod 48 with one of four studs or projections 49 carried by a disc 56 mounted on the spindle: the push rod has a shoulder 48a which engages with the next following stud 49 and limits the rotation of the disc to 90 at each operation. The mov ements of the push rod 48 are effected by a lever 5! operated from another cam 52 mounted on the cam shaft 30. The cams are arranged so that as soon as the push rod 48 has rotated the mould carrier 40 through 90 the carrier is lowered again to its dropped position for a short interval before the lever 45 is caused to raise it again in readiness for further rotation by the push rod 48. In the first position represented by the hole M a mould containing a finished piece of clay is lifted from the mould carrier and an empty mould is inserted. The top of the frame may have an upstanding formation under the mould carrier in this position which pushes the moulds upwards to some extent out of the carrier to facilitate handling them. In the second position 42 a lump of clay is fed into the mould 60, either by hand or mechanically, for instance the clay may be extruded in a column and a guillotine device operated by a further cam on the cam shaft may act to cut off the correct quantity from the column each time an empty mould. arrives in the second position in question. Alternatively as shown a divider may be used comprising a frame 53 having cutting wires 53a and slidable by means of bosses 54 on guides 55 along a base 56 up to a backing plate 51, the backing plate and bed being indented correspondingly to the positions of the wires, so that the wires will completely sever longitudinally a column of clay on the bed 58 leaving the worker to place suitable pieces from the divisions in the moulds. This method of feeding is less monotonous to the worker than a mechanical feed. In the third position 43 the clay is acted upon by a tool carried by the first jolley arm 35 and in the fourth position the plate receives its final shaping from the tool carried by the second jolley arm 36. In preferably the fourth position only a jet of water may be sprayed into the mould by a spraying device 59, the opening of the valve 62 controlling the spraying device being effected by a tappet 63 operated by a cam 64 on the cam shaft. In preferably both the third and fourth positions scraping or trimming tools 6| for the edge of the piece are swung into position under the action of a tappet 65 operated by a further cam 66 on the cam shaft, the trimmings being delivered into a scrap box 67. The drive of the jigger spindles l3, I4 is taken up automatically through the clutch 24 which is actuated by the forked arms 68 of a link 69 from a cam on the shaft 39, and the clutch when disengaged may be arranged to exert a braking effect. In this way the jigger heads are rotated only when the mould carrier is lowered.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent is:

A pottery machine comprising a frame, a pair of vertical spindles journaled in the frame in spaced relationship, a jigger head supported by the upper end of each spindle, a source of power, a drive connection between said source of power and said spindles, a lever mounted on said frame for horizontal pivotal movement, a pair of spaced parallel arms supported by said lever and extending over the jigger heads, a profile tool supported by each of said arms, a horizontal shaft journaled in said frame, a drive connection between said source of power and the horizontal shaft, a cam on the horizontal shaft, a member carried by said lever and riding on the cam whereby rotation of the cam will raise and lower the lever and arms simultaneously, a third spindle mounted in said frame for vertical and rotatable movement, a mould carrier supported by the upper end of said last named spindle, a lever pivoted to the frame and having an arm operatively connected with said vertically movable spindle, a second cam on said horizontal shaft adapted to engage the free end of said last named lever whereby said arm Will raise the spindle at predetermined intervals, a disk carried by the vertically movable spindle intermediate the ends thereof, a plurality of projections on said disk, a pushpull rod having means thereon for engaging said projections to rotate said spindle, a lever pivoted to the frame for vertical pivotal movement, 'a connection between said last named lever and the push-pull rod, a cam on said horizontal shaft for moving said lever for vertical pivotal movement in alternate directions whereby said vertically and rota.ably movable spindle and mould carrier are rotated, a clutch on one of said jigger spindles, an operator for said clutch, and a cam on said horizontal shaft for actuating said clutch operator to disconnect the spindles from the source of power.

ROBERT ALEXANDER MADDOCK. I

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date 

